Grand Blvd. Bridge to reopen to traffic Friday

The Feb. 15, 2012 photo shows the progress of construction on the new Grand Ave. viaduct in Midtown. It's expected to open to traffic about a month late because of construction delays.

(via Twitter/St. Louis Board of Public Service)

Updated 1:30 p.m. (Friday) with details of Metrolink station reopening.

After being closed for more than a year, the Grand Boulevard Bridge will reopen to traffic tomorrow.

Grand is one of the city of St. Louis’ busiest north-south streets, but much-needed work on the aging viaduct required a closure of the street between Chouteau and Interstate 64/40 in March of 2011.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m., the bridge will reopen. Two lanes will flow northbound during morning rush hour and the two lanes will switch to southbound traffic for the evening rush.

Work is still being done on four, 50-foot steel and brick towers and the median. An official grand opening for the $24 million project will be held in late August.

Metro has also been renovating its Grand MetroLink station while the bridge work is being completed. The transit agency says the station will reopen in about one month. They don't have a specific date yet. Metro is in the final phase of work on the Grand Metrolink station, which includes installing elevators and a plaza under the bridge.